Here's a look at the life of Italian billionaire and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Personal: Birth Date: September 29, 1936

Birth Place: Milan, Italy

Father: Luigi Berlusconi, bank clerk

Mother: Rosella (Bossi) Berlusconi, homemaker

Marriages: Veronica Lario, (1990-2012, divorced); Carla Dall'Oglio, (1965-1985, divorced)

Children: with Veronica Lario: Luigi, 1988; Eleonora ,1986; Barbara,1984; with Carla Dall'Oglio: Piersilvio, 1969; Marina ,1966

Education: University of Milan, Law, 1961

Other Facts: He has been the subject of multiple corruption and bribery trials.

Number 194 on the Forbes Billionaires list for 2013, with a net worth of $6.2 billion.

The Forza Italia Party is named for "Forza, Italia!!" (Go, Italy!!), a chant heard at AC Milan football games. Berlusconi owns the team. (as of 11/26/2012)

He has been treated for prostate cancer.

Timeline: 1962 - Founds Edilnord, a real estate and construction firm.

1974 - Creates the closed-circuit cable television station Telimilano Cavo.

1978 - Forms Fininvest, a holding company under which he would eventually own television networks, department stores, the AC Milan soccer team, insurance, bookstore chains and real estate.

1980 - Launches Canale 5, Italy's first national commercial television network, Italia 1 follows in 1982 and Rete 4 in 1984.

February 19, 1986 - Buys the AC Milan football (soccer) club.

1988 - Buys La Standa, Italy's largest department store.

January 26, 1994 - Resigns all his positions at Fininvest to enter politics, but still holds stock.

1994 - Forms the Forza Italia Party and is elected prime minister.

December 22, 1994 - Is removed from office after nearly nine months, after losing the support of other political parties.

1996 - Loses the election for prime minister to Romano Prodi.

December 1997 - Is sentenced to 16 months for accounting fraud at Fininvest. The sentence is later suspended.

July 1998 - Is sentenced to two years and four months and fined $5.6 million for corruption/illegal party financing, then is sentenced to two years and nine months for bribing tax inspectors. An appeals court overturns the corruption charges in October 1999: the bribery conviction is thrown out in May 2000.

May 13, 2001 - Wins the general election with 18.5 million votes to become prime minister of Italy.